Al-Azhar teachers to arrive Wednesday: Arabiyya School

Students of Arabiyya School receiving their report forms on the last day of school. PHOTO: HUSSAIN WAHEED / MIHAARU

14 April 2019, MVT 13:13

Teachers from Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, appointed to teach at Arabiyya School, are scheduled to arrive in Maldives coming Wednesday.

Principal of Arabiyya School Mohamed Shujau stated that all administrative work regarding the 18 new teachers is finished, adding that the difficulties the school faced due to lack of teachers will be eased.

The government, in February, sent a delegation to Egypt regarding the shortage of teachers. The new teachers are being sent within two months of the delegation's meeting with Sheikh Al Azhar Ahmed al-Tayeb, the current Grand Imam of al-Azhar and former president of al-Azhar University.

While Azhar planned to send 22 teachers to Maldives this year, four have arrived to date.

After the establishment of Arabiyya 32 years ago, Azhar has been sending teachers to Maldives on an annual basis. However, tensions arose in 2017 when the teachers were stuck at the airport for 12 hours before being deported. Azhar halted sending teachers to Maldives for a period of time before efforts resumed, following a letter of apology from President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to Sheikh Al Azhar Ahmed al-Tayeb regarding the incident.